Ch 39: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

“Where is he?” Magistrate Xu shot to his feet.

The yamen runner wiped the sweat from his forehead—he had clearly run all the way there. “He should… he should already be on the country road, sir. I came ahead to report first.”

“Good, I understand.” Magistrate Xu thought for a moment, then walked over to Jiang Ji and whispered, “The Prefect has arrived—he’ll be here any moment.”

“What? The Prefect?” Jiang Ji paused mid-writing. He remembered what Magistrate Xu had said about this man’s greed and frowned. “Why is he coming now, of all times? We’re in the middle of work.”

Magistrate Xu lowered his voice. “Just stay put and keep busy. I’ll receive him myself. If he asks to see you, I’ll call you over. But be prepared.”

“Alright. Thank you, sir.”

Magistrate Xu went to the gate with his attendants to greet the visitor. Jiang Ji leaned toward Jiang Yan and murmured, “We should stay sharp—keep an eye out.”

Jiang Yan nodded.

About fifteen minutes later, two carriages stopped at the entrance to the manor. From one of them stepped a man nearing fifty, heavyset and richly dressed, assisted down by attendants.

Magistrate Xu and his men were already waiting at the gate. As soon as they saw him, they bowed deeply. “This humble official greets Your Excellency.”

The Prefect’s name was Hu Yuanwu. He wasn’t wearing his formal robe; instead, he held a string of prayer beads, rolling them idly between his fingers.

He first glanced around the manor yard, noting the villagers carrying sacks of seeds, before finally looking at Magistrate Xu. “Hmm. So this is the place selling those new rice seeds you mentioned?”

“Yes, Your Excellency,” Magistrate Xu replied with a nod. “Would you care to step inside and take a look?”

“Let’s go.” Prefect Hu lifted his chin slightly, signaling for Magistrate Xu to lead the way.

Magistrate Xu walked ahead, giving a report on their progress as they went.

Prefect Hu had brought about a dozen people with him—not only his adviser, clerks, and guards, but also two maidservants. The whole entourage looked imposing as they entered the manor.

Many villagers, upon seeing Magistrate Xu, greeted him warmly. When they noticed the richly dressed man following beside him, they quickly stepped aside to make way, sensing he must be someone of high rank.

Magistrate Xu had planned to welcome Prefect Hu into the main hall first—it had already been cleared and cleaned, perfect for receiving guests—but Prefect Hu waved his hand. “Let’s go to the back and see where the seeds are being sold.”

Magistrate Xu paused briefly, then led the group toward the rear warehouse.

Villagers were lined up there in neat order, some entering while others exited, each carrying baskets of seeds. Everything ran smoothly.

Prefect Hu glanced at the baskets filled with sweet potatoes and potatoes, then looked toward the entrance where two tables had been set up. Beside each table stood a large wooden chest—both nearly filled with copper coins and broken pieces of silver.

He looked into the warehouse, seeing that about half the stock of seeds was already gone. “How many people have bought so far?” he asked.

“Reporting to Your Excellency,” said Magistrate Xu respectfully, bowing his head. “About sixty to seventy percent of the villagers have purchased already.”

Prefect Hu pointed toward the room. “There’s still thirty or forty percent left. That doesn’t seem like enough seeds to supply the rest, does it?”

Magistrate Xu glanced at him and replied, “Indeed, but there’s another warehouse.”

“Oh? Is that so? Take me to see it.”

Magistrate Xu hesitated briefly. “Yes, it’s this way, please follow me, Your Excellency.”

He discreetly signaled to his adviser to fetch the key from Jiang Ji.

Jiang Ji came over with the adviser and opened the warehouse door.

Full—stacked to the rafters.

Prefect Hu’s eyes gleamed as he looked over the piles of seed sacks. He rolled the prayer beads in his hand and nodded approvingly. “Excellent. Magistrate Xu, you’ve done well to discover these high-yield rice seeds and new crop varieties, and to distribute them so quickly across the county. This is a great achievement—a true blessing for the people.”

“I am only doing my duty,” Magistrate Xu said humbly with a slight bow. “And actually, these rice and crop seeds weren’t brought back by me—they were brought by a villager here. I merely assisted in promoting them. I dare not claim credit.”

“Ah, Magistrate Xu, you are too modest.” Prefect Hu smiled broadly, his tone oily with flattery. “Under your governance, the people of Changping County live in peace and prosperity. You deserve great merit. I shall certainly report this to my superiors and recommend you for commendation.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency,” Magistrate Xu replied, clasping his hands and bowing slightly. “Your Excellency, the sun is rather strong out here. You must be tired from your long journey. How about we move to the front hall for some rest? Later, when we return to the city, I’ll host a banquet in your honor.”

“Hmm, very well. Let’s sit up front for a bit first.” Prefect Hu patted his round belly and nodded.

Magistrate Xu gave Jiang Ji a subtle look, then led Prefect Hu toward the main hall.

On the way, Prefect Hu made a few polite remarks before asking casually, “You mentioned that the villager who brought the seeds is here? I’d like to meet him.”

Magistrate Xu paused slightly, then replied, “I’ll send someone to bring him over right away.”

Not long after, Jiang Ji was summoned to the main hall. Jiang Yan, uneasy about the situation, followed with him.

As they entered, they caught sight of Prefect Hu spitting the tea he’d just sipped back into his cup.

Jiang Ji: “…”

Jiang Yan: “…”

Magistrate Xu immediately stood and apologized, “My apologies, Your Excellency. This is a rural place; we don’t have any good tea to offer.”

“It’s fine. Let me share some of mine.” Prefect Hu wiped his mouth and waved his hand.

At once, his two maids brought out fine porcelain cups and began brewing tea from a canister of leaves they had brought with them.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan exchanged a brief look, composed their expressions, and stepped forward together. They clasped their hands and bowed. “This humble commoner greets Your Excellencies.”

Prefect Hu looked them over. Both were dressed plainly in coarse short-sleeved shirts—the garb of peasants. One was dark-skinned and straightforward-looking; the other was fairer, appearing quiet and honest.

He turned to Magistrate Xu. “These two?”

“Yes, Your Excellency.” Magistrate Xu observed the pair—unlike their usual sharp, confident demeanor, they now appeared simple and deferential. He wasn’t sure what game they were playing, but said nothing. Instead, he gestured toward them and introduced, “Your Excellency, these are the two young men—this one is Jiang Ji, and that one is Jiang Yan.”

Then he turned to them. “This is Prefect Hu.”

The two bowed again. “Greetings, Prefect Hu.”

“No need for excessive formality. Sit.” Prefect Hu gestured to the seats beside him.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan sat down.

Magistrate Xu didn’t continue the conversation, leaving room for the Prefect to speak. The maids served tea, and Prefect Hu motioned to them. “Pour for the two young men as well.”

The maids handed each of them a cup.

“This is tea I got from a friend,” Prefect Hu said with a smile. “Have a taste.”

After a few sips, Magistrate Xu commented, “Rich aroma, clear liquor, and a lingering aftertaste—a fine tea indeed.”

Prefect Hu smiled, rolling his prayer beads. He turned to Jiang Ji. “And what do you think?”

Jiang Ji scratched his head and replied, “This humble villager isn’t refined enough to know good tea from bad, but since Your Excellency offered it, it must be good—and it tastes fine to me.”

Prefect Hu burst into hearty laughter. “As long as it tastes good, that’s what matters.”

He then asked, “I heard from Magistrate Xu that these seeds were brought from the south?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Prefect Hu continued, “You bought them from a traveling merchant, then?”

“Yes.”

“Oh?” Prefect Hu smiled, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Jiang Ji. “That’s quite a large quantity of seeds. Must have been hard work, hmm?”

“It’s alright, I had some help,” Jiang Ji replied with an easy smile.

Prefect Hu’s expression was kindly. “Young man, bringing in these seeds is a great merit. Magistrate Xu told me you even recorded and organized all the planting methods yourself—excellent work. Keep it up. If the crops grow well and yield a good harvest this summer, I shall personally petition the court to recognize your service. The imperial government will surely reward you.”

He sounded every bit the benevolent official, offering grand promises. Jiang Ji played along, standing up and bowing gratefully. “Thank you, sir. I just wanted everyone to harvest more grain and not go hungry.”

“Ah, what an honest young man.” Prefect Hu smiled warmly. “No need for such formality—sit, sit.” Then he turned to Magistrate Xu. “Magistrate Xu, this young fellow is remarkable, isn’t he?”

Magistrate Xu nodded repeatedly. “Indeed, Your Excellency is right. Young Jiang Ji has a generous heart.”

Prefect Hu chatted a little longer with polite flattery before suddenly waving a hand to his adviser. The adviser immediately led everyone else out of the hall.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan exchanged a quick look—they both knew this was where the real conversation would begin.

Magistrate Xu glanced at Jiang Ji, then asked uncertainly, “Your Excellency, what is this about?”

Prefect Hu smiled. “Nothing much. I just wish to discuss a small matter with this young man.”

Magistrate Xu quickly stood. “Oh, then perhaps I should—”

“No, no need,” Prefect Hu waved his hand. “You stay. Just listen.”

So Magistrate Xu sat back down.

The hall fell silent—you could hear a pin drop.

Prefect Hu took a sip of tea and began, “Now then, these high-yield rice seeds and new crops are a fine thing indeed. I would like to promote them throughout the entire prefecture, so that everyone can plant them, have good harvests, and fill their bellies. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

Magistrate Xu nodded. “A good thing, of course.”

Jiang Ji nodded too. “That’s what I think as well.”

Prefect Hu smiled broadly. “Excellent. It’s wonderful that you’re willing to expand this across the prefecture. But you see, young man, your family’s means are limited and you don’t have enough people to handle this properly. So here’s what I suggest—bring this merchant of yours to meet me. I’ll speak with him directly and have him deliver more seeds here. Then the prefectural office can assign men to distribute them. That way, some areas can still catch the spring planting season. Don’t you think that would be much faster?”

Magistrate Xu: “…”
Jiang Ji, Jiang Yan: “…”

Jiang Ji scratched his head. “Well, to be honest, Your Excellency, I do want to spread these seeds around, but my family is poor—we also rely on selling them to make a little money to live.”

Prefect Hu raised his brows. “You’ve already sold enough seed to supply an entire county! That should be more than enough for your family to live comfortably for life. My young friend, you’re no longer struggling to eat—but across the prefecture, countless common folk are still starving. Can you bear to let that happen?”

Jiang Yan and Magistrate Xu: “…”
Jiang Ji: “…It’s really not that much money.”

Prefect Hu continued earnestly, tone dripping with moral righteousness. “This new seed is a blessing for the people of the whole prefecture. To ensure everyone can eat, rest assured—the government won’t take a single coin in profit. Whatever price the merchant sells to us for, that exact price will be passed to the villagers.”

Jiang Ji clasped his hands. “Such integrity! I deeply admire Your Excellency’s virtue.”

Prefect Hu sighed with mock humility. “It’s my duty as the parent official of Yun Prefecture—I must think of all my people’s hunger.”

Jiang Ji blinked innocently and followed up smoothly, “You’re truly kind, Your Excellency. In that case, why don’t I write a letter to the merchants, asking them to send as many seeds as possible to each county directly? That way, villagers can buy straight from them, and it’ll save you the trouble of managing all this personally. How about that?”

Prefect Hu: “…”

Magistrate Xu looked at Jiang Ji, lips twitching.

Jiang Yan took a calm sip of tea, hiding the smirk in his eyes.

Prefect Hu’s smile froze. He stared at the dark-skinned youth before him, trying to tell whether he was being deliberately obtuse. But no matter how he looked, the boy seemed perfectly sincere—straightforward, even grateful.

The prefect’s jaw ached with frustration. How can someone this simple be so difficult to handle?

He couldn’t just spell out what he wanted—not with Magistrate Xu sitting right there. The man was upright and incorruptible; if he caught wind of anything shady, he might even report it to the provincial governor.

Prefect Hu had hoped to take the clean, “official” route, but it was clear now—he’d need to find another opportunity to meet these two brothers privately.

He forced a genial smile. “Ah, young man, you don’t quite understand. As the Prefect of this region, I naturally have certain administrative privileges—it’s much easier for me to arrange these things.”

“Oh, then why don’t you issue an official decree to the other county magistrates?” Jiang Ji suggested brightly. “If they all cooperate like Magistrate Xu here, it’ll spread quickly!”

Prefect Hu looked at him, then at Magistrate Xu, and let out a laugh that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yes, Magistrate Xu is truly a model of benevolence—an example to his peers.”

Jiang Ji nodded earnestly. “Yes, coordination between the county offices is key. That’s the fastest way to spread it.”

Prefect Hu: “…”

“Well then,” he said finally, forcing his tone back to polite calm, “why don’t you think it over? I’ve just arrived and I’m rather tired. I’ll return to the county to rest, and we can talk more another day.”

He set down his teacup, turned to Magistrate Xu, and said, “Magistrate Xu, shall we head back?”

Magistrate Xu rose and replied smoothly, “You’ve worked hard, Your Excellency. I’ll accompany you back. Jiang Ji, take care of things here.”

“Yes, sir.” Jiang Ji stood, and he and Jiang Yan escorted the two officials out of the manor.

Watching the carriage disappear down the road, Jiang Ji’s expression changed—his previously naive look vanished as he crossed his arms and muttered, “That man really has no shame.”

“He’ll probably come back,” Jiang Yan said, glancing at him. “You acted the part well.”

“Heh, nothing to it.” Jiang Ji slung an arm over Jiang Yan’s shoulder. “Come on, back to work. Still plenty of people waiting.”

Jiang Yan glanced at the hand on his shoulder, then nodded. “Mm. Let’s go.”

The two of them walked back, shoulder to shoulder.

When Zhao Ru heard that the prefect had come, she hurried from the kitchen to find them. Seeing they’d returned safely, she asked in a low voice, “You’re alright?”

“Mother, we’re fine. Don’t worry.”

“Truly?”

“Truly. I can handle it.”

Only then did Zhao Ru relax and return to the kitchen.

…

The next day, Prefect Hu and Magistrate Xu didn’t show up. Instead, Hu’s adviser came with the assistant magistrate and met with Jiang Ji privately. He said that once the seed sale was finished, Prefect Hu would host a banquet in the city to honor him.

Jiang Ji acted surprised and grateful, agreeing readily.

Another day passed. By midday, all the seeds were finally sold out. While Zhao Ru and the village head’s family cleaned up the manor, Jiang Ji borrowed Magistrate Xu’s carriage. He and Jiang Yan loaded the large chests filled with silver coins onto it and went back to town with the yamen runners, then headed straight to the money exchange to trade them for silver notes.

There was so much silver that it filled several chests. Jiang Ji didn’t dare keep it at home—it wasn’t safe—so after discussing it with Zhao Ru, he decided to send everything to the exchange while they had the yamen guards as protection.

The counting took a long time. Most villagers had paid in copper coins or small pieces of silver; only the minor landlords had paid with silver notes. Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan counted once, the moneychanger’s clerks counted again—it wasn’t until mid-afternoon that the total was confirmed.

Twenty-seven thousand eight hundred taels. Jiang Ji converted nearly all of it into silver notes—some in large denominations, some smaller—and stored them separately, leaving only a little loose silver for personal use.

When they left the exchange, neither of them had eaten lunch yet. Jiang Ji dragged Jiang Yan into a restaurant and ordered a private room.

After ordering dishes, he told Jiang Yan to keep an eye on the door, then quickly pulled a modern shoulder bag out of his system’s storage. He packed all the silver notes inside, keeping only a bit of silver for the evening’s banquet.

He slung the small bag under his inner clothes, then put on a thicker outer layer. His waist looked a little bulky, but it was safer that way. The pockets on ancient clothing just couldn’t be trusted.

…

That evening, Jiang Ji hosted a banquet at the best restaurant in town for the yamen runners, the two bookkeepers, and Magistrate Xu’s adviser. Since Magistrate Xu and the assistant magistrate had to avoid appearances of favoritism, they didn’t attend; Jiang Ji planned to invite them privately in a few days.

After the meal, Jiang Ji discreetly handed each yamen runner a silver note worth ten taels.

By the time dinner ended, the city gates were already closed. He and Jiang Yan found an inn and stayed the night. The next morning, they stopped by the county office to greet Magistrate Xu before hurrying home.

Once home, Jiang Ji used his points to exchange for a sturdy wooden chest and a modern safe.

He placed all the silver notes inside the wooden box and handed it to Zhao Ru.

“Mother, we made twenty-seven thousand eight hundred taels this time. Here are twenty-seven thousand in silver notes. Only you, Jiang Yan, and I—and the money exchange clerks—know how much we earned. Everything goes in this safe.”

Zhao Ru stared at the thick stack of notes, eyes wide. “You said how much?”

“Twenty-seven thousand eight hundred or so.”

Her hands trembled as she held the chest. “T-twenty-seven thousand eight hundred?”

“Yes.” Jiang Ji clasped her shaking hands gently. “Mother, we’ll make even more in the future, so be prepared.”

“Good heavens, that much!” Zhao Ru had never seen so many silver notes in her life. Nearly faint with excitement, she hurriedly shoved the chest back into Jiang Ji’s hands. “Quick, put it away! You said it goes in that box? Hurry—lock it up, I’ll find a lock!”

Jiang Ji laughed, catching her by the arm. “Mother, this box doesn’t use a regular lock. It’s a divine one—let me show you.”

He placed the money chest inside the safe, reset the passcode to the date he’d first arrived in this world, and then showed Zhao Ru how to open it.

Just one look at the box told Zhao Ru it was something otherworldly—made of material she didn’t recognize, with markings she couldn’t read—but she memorized the positions and order of the buttons.

With both a passcode and a key, Jiang Ji had her practice twice until he was sure she remembered.

“This is much safer than our wooden chests,” Zhao Ru said, hefting the heavy safe. “Is it made of iron?”

Not knowing how to explain stainless steel, Jiang Ji nodded. “Something like that. Oh, and Mother—don’t tell Jiang Nan or Jiang Bei how much we actually made.”

Zhao Ru nodded. “I understand. What about the rest of the village?”

“Don’t give exact numbers—just say we earned a bit. Tonight, let’s invite the village head and Uncle Tu Gen for dinner to thank them for their help. I already gave the yamen brothers ten taels each as thanks, and I was thinking of giving the same to Uncle Tu Gen and the others. Do you think that’s alright?”

Jiang Ji wasn’t sure what was proper for village etiquette when it came to showing gratitude with money.

There were twelve people in total who’d helped: nine men including the village head and Uncle Tu Gen, and three women—Aunt Xiufang, the village head’s wife, and his daughter-in-law.

“That’s fine,” Zhao Ru said. In the past, she would’ve been reluctant to part with that much silver—but now, though she still winced inwardly, she knew it had to be done.

After a moment of thought, she asked, “Do you still have new seeds?”

“I do. Why?”

“You said we were going to plant that chili pepper, didn’t you?” Zhao Ru said. “Let them plant some too. It doesn’t matter how much—they’ll understand we’re showing goodwill. If they want to grow it, good; if not, that’s fine too.”

“Alright, that’s fine.”

These people had all seen the chests full of silver—so they could more or less guess how much Jiang Ji had earned. Winning them over now would make things much easier in the future.

Jiang Ji then asked, “By the way, is the manor all cleaned up?”

“It’s done. Everything’s been tidied. We used our own bedding, didn’t touch theirs. Oh, here’s the key.” Zhao Ru took the key from her chest pocket and handed it to Jiang Ji.

“Good. Tomorrow I’ll return it to the Lin family and thank them properly.” Jiang Ji took the key to Lin Manor, then handed her the key to the safe. “Mother, keep this one safe.”

“Alright.” Zhao Ru wrapped the safe in a piece of black cloth. “Will mice bite through this thing?”

“They can’t.”

Zhao Ru hesitated about where to put it. She first tried under the bed, but after thinking for a bit, she carried it back out. Jiang Ji watched as she fetched a hoe, moved aside two clothing chests, lifted the wooden boards beneath them, and started digging a large hole in the floor.

“Mother, you’re putting it in there?”

“Yes, it’s safer this way.”

Jiang Ji blinked. “Then let’s take out a bit of money first so you don’t have to dig it up every time.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

Jiang Ji thought for a moment, opened the safe, and took out a silver note worth a thousand taels.

When Zhao Ru finished digging, she found a wooden box big enough to hold the safe, placed it inside, then buried it under the floor again.

Finally, she replaced the boards and set the clothing chests back in place, covering every trace of the digging.

Jiang Ji: … This was extreme security.

Even if thieves came and rummaged through everything, they’d never think to pry up the floorboards beneath the chests.

Around noon, one of Prefect Hu’s attendants arrived to invite Jiang Ji to meet at a restaurant in the city the next day. Jiang Ji agreed.

That night, Jiang Ji’s family prepared good food and wine to host a dinner for everyone who had helped.

During the meal, he mentioned the plan to grow chili peppers. By now, everyone was curious about the new crops Jiang Ji kept introducing. Uncle Tu Gen and the village head immediately said they wanted to plant some, while the younger men—who weren’t heads of their households—said they’d discuss it with their families first.

When the feast ended, Jiang Ji slipped a silver ingot into each person’s hands. Everyone was shocked—it was a ten-tael ingot!

They all hurried to refuse.

But Jiang Ji insisted earnestly, “Uncles, aunties, brothers, please don’t be polite with me. There’ll be many things in the future where I’ll need your help. If you don’t take this, I won’t have the face to ask for help again.”

Seeing his sincerity, everyone smiled and accepted the gift.

…

The next day, Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan went to the city. First they returned the key to the Lin family, then stopped by the county office to greet Magistrate Xu. Around noon, they headed to the restaurant where Prefect Hu had arranged to meet.

When they arrived, they noticed the main hall of the restaurant was completely empty. Curious, they asked the waiter, who told them someone had reserved the entire place.

Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan exchanged a glance and followed the waiter upstairs, taking a table by the window, where they could see both the street below and the restaurant entrance.

Not long after they sat down, Prefect Hu entered with his adviser.

After some polite small talk and three rounds of wine, Prefect Hu, having tested Jiang Ji several times without getting a straight answer, gave a subtle signal to his adviser.

The adviser lifted the wine pot, poured Jiang Ji a full cup, and said, “Brother Jiang Ji, tell me—would you like to make even more money? Maybe buy yourself a grand house?”

Jiang Ji had drunk a few cups, but his mind was clear. He nodded readily. “Of course I would! I dream of it. I want to live in a big house and let my mother rest easy.”

“You’re a good, filial son.” The adviser smiled smoothly. “You’ve earned a bit already, yes—but there’s still a long road to real wealth. We happen to have a good way for you to make big money. The only question is—do you want to?”

“What way?” Jiang Ji asked.

Lowering his voice, the adviser said, “Introduce that southern merchant to us. We can expand sales across the entire prefecture. You’ll get a ten-percent share of the profit. How about it?”

Jiang Ji’s eyes widened. “Didn’t you say you weren’t taking any money?”

The adviser laughed awkwardly. “Ah, just a little compensation for labor, you know—distributing seeds takes manpower. You hired the county office and villagers too, didn’t you?”

“Well, that’s true,” Jiang Ji said, nodding vaguely.

Prefect Hu cut in, “So, how many more seeds can this merchant deliver?”

“I’m not sure,” Jiang Ji said, shaking his head. “He told me last time there wasn’t much left. For this spring season, he might only manage one more delivery—probably enough for half a county at most.”

Prefect Hu’s eyes widened. “What? Only that little?”

“Yeah,” Jiang Ji said, swaying a little as if tipsy. “It’s a long trip for him. Honestly, there’s not much profit in it. After paying him for the seeds, I only made a bit over a thousand taels.”

He smacked the table and grabbed the adviser’s arm, complaining tearfully, “A whole county! So many families! I worked day and night for over a month, ran myself ragged—and only made a thousand taels! Tell me, tell me, why is making money so hard?!”

Then he clung to the adviser’s arm, sobbing. “If I set the price high, farmers can’t afford it. If I set it low, I lose money! They were afraid to buy new seeds, so I had to write planting guides and go village to village to teach them! I talked until my mouth went dry and gave away so many sweet potatoes and potatoes just to prove it worked! Sir, why is earning money so hard?!”

The adviser froze completely, not knowing where to put his hands.

Prefect Hu stared at the weeping young man in disbelief, utterly speechless. He began to reconsider whether it was even worth asking further.

Only half a county’s worth of seeds left—and barely any profit to be made. Even if the second rice harvest came, there’d be no more sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, or cotton left to sell. Just rice seeds wouldn’t bring much.

If there was money to be made, it would have to wait until next spring. Still, he needed to at least find out who that merchant was—or where in the south he came from.

Jiang Yan watched Jiang Ji, the corner of his eye twitching, but still reached over to pull him away from the adviser. “What are you crying for? You drink a little and start bawling—look, you’ve gotten the adviser’s clothes all dirty. Stop crying.”

Jiang Ji turned and clung to Jiang Yan instead, wailing, “Jiang Yan, I’m so tired! How did I work so hard and still earn so little? If I build just one decent house, all the money’s gone—gone!”

Jiang Yan glanced toward the window, then pinched Jiang Ji’s arm lightly, muttering, “…If it’s gone, we’ll just find another way to make money.” He had no idea how to keep this act going.

Jiang Ji suddenly lifted his head from Jiang Yan’s shoulder. “You have a way to make money?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. “No.”

“Then why say that!” Jiang Ji scolded and promptly threw himself back into Jiang Yan’s arms, sobbing harder. Between hiccups he cried out toward Prefect Hu, “Lord Hu! You said you’d teach me how to make money—what do I have to do?”

The noise gave Prefect Hu a headache. He slammed his palm against the table. “Enough! Stop crying!”

Jiang Ji flinched, instantly falling silent—except for a small hiccup. His eyes were red and watery as he looked up at the prefect.

“You—” Prefect Hu pointed at him. “Tell me the merchant’s name and how to contact him.”

“Hic… Your Excellency, there’s no big money to be made in this.”

“Not talking, eh?” Prefect Hu’s patience snapped. He’d been hoping to profit from this seed trade, but now it seemed there were no seeds left—and his temper was already frayed. “Don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink the punishment wine! I’m warning you.”

At once, four burly men entered the private room, positioning themselves around Jiang Ji.

Startled, Jiang Ji let out another loud hiccup and shrank against Jiang Yan. “S-sir, what are you doing?”

Jiang Yan immediately stood, one arm shielding Jiang Ji’s shoulders. His voice turned cold. “Lord Hu, as a parent official of the people, are you resorting to coercion and violence?”

Prefect Hu sneered. “And what if I am? When I wish to buy, you must sell.” He rose, wiping his hands and mouth with a cloth, and ordered the men, “Take him. Get me the answers—whatever it takes.”

He tossed the cloth aside and turned to leave.

Just then, the door burst open. Magistrate Xu entered with several yamen officers.

He looked around the room in confusion. “Lord Hu, what’s going on here?”

Prefect Hu frowned. “What are you doing here?”

Seeing Magistrate Xu, Jiang Ji immediately shouted, “Sir! Help me!”

Magistrate Xu glanced at him—tear-streaked and trembling—and frowned. “Lord Hu, may I ask what offense this young man has committed?”

Prefect Hu gave a cold laugh. “Nothing serious. He was disrespectful to me. I was merely going to teach him a small lesson.”

“That’s not true!” Jiang Ji cried. “He demanded the merchant’s name—he wants to buy seeds from him and sell them at higher prices! I wouldn’t tell him, so he ordered his men to seize me and use torture!”

“Utter nonsense!” Prefect Hu snapped. “I am a prefect of the realm—do you think I’d stoop to eyeing your petty profits?”

“Oh?” Magistrate Xu didn’t press further. Instead, he stepped aside to reveal the people behind him. “Lord Hu, the Provincial Inspector has sent someone.”

“The Provincial Inspector?” Prefect Hu froze, and when he saw who it was, his expression soured. “Lord Chen.”

A man in a blue robe stepped forward from behind Magistrate Xu. He scanned the room, then cupped his hands politely toward Prefect Hu. “Lord Hu, the Inspector has sent me with an official letter for both you and Magistrate Xu.”

He drew a folded document from his robe and handed it over.

Prefect Hu accepted it, broke the seal, and read—his face darkened.

“What does the Inspector say?” Magistrate Xu asked.

Prefect Hu thrust the letter toward him and shot him a furious glare.

Magistrate Xu ignored the look, took the letter, and read it carefully. When he finished, he bowed toward the man in blue. “Please convey to the Inspector that I will devote my utmost effort to carrying out this matter.”

Lord Chen nodded, then turned to Prefect Hu. “And you, Lord Hu?”

Prefect Hu’s face was grim, but he nodded stiffly. “I understand. I will not fail in my duty.”

Lord Chen smiled faintly. “The Inspector places great importance on this project. He expects both of you to treat it seriously. He’ll personally come to inspect the results in a month’s time.”

Magistrate Xu bowed again. “Yes, we will ensure it’s done well.”

Prefect Hu nodded. “Understood.”

Then Lord Chen looked toward Jiang Ji. “Which of you is the young man who introduced the high-yield rice and new crops?”

Jiang Ji stepped forward. “That would be me.”

“Ah.” Lord Chen turned to Prefect Hu. “And how, may I ask, did this young man manage to offend you?”

Prefect Hu waved a hand irritably, and the guards released Jiang Ji.

Jiang Ji wiped his face, his eyes now clear and sharp. He stepped forward, bowed low, and said firmly, “Commoner Jiang Ji greets Your Excellency.”

Lord Chen studied him—and the quiet, watchful Jiang Yan behind him. “The Inspector has heard about your introduction of new seeds and crops. He is pleased and considers it an important achievement. He has ordered Prefect Hu and Magistrate Xu to fully support your work in spreading these seeds. I will also visit from time to time to oversee the progress.”

He added, “Please bring in as many seeds as you can, and make sure the people learn how to cultivate them. When the Inspector visits, if the results are satisfactory, he will personally submit a memorial to the court to have you rewarded. Take this seriously.”

Jiang Ji bowed deeply. “Yes, sir. I will not fail his expectations.”

“Excellent.” Lord Chen nodded, then turned to Prefect Hu. “The Inspector also asked me to deliver a few words to you, Lord Hu. Shall we discuss them elsewhere?”

“Of course. Please.”

Prefect Hu followed Lord Chen out to another private room.

Magistrate Xu led Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan downstairs.

At the entrance of the restaurant, Jiang Ji thanked him earnestly. “Sir, thank goodness you came when you did. He was about to have me beaten.”

“Frightened?” Magistrate Xu looked at his face and said dryly, “You cried so loud I could hear it from outside.”

Jiang Ji scratched his head awkwardly. “Ah, there wasn’t much else I could do. Sorry for the spectacle, sir.”

Magistrate Xu lightly tapped him on the shoulder, smiling without replying.

Jiang Ji lowered his voice. “He won’t dare try anything against me again, will he?”

“No, he won’t,” said Magistrate Xu.

Jiang Ji asked softly, “Who is that Lord Chen?”

“He’s the agricultural affairs adviser under the Provincial Inspector’s office,” Xu explained.

“Oh, impressive.” Jiang Ji didn’t really know what that title meant, but he caught the words “agricultural affairs.” In his mind, that probably meant something like the provincial head of agriculture—or even a minister.

Anyway, he was someone in charge of farming, and that was what mattered.

Magistrate Xu asked, “Can you still get more seeds? If you have enough, we can expand distribution to neighboring counties. Lord Chen can order the local governments there to assist you.”

“Yes, I can still get some rice and cotton seeds. A small amount of sweet potato seeds too, but not many left.” (His points were nearly all spent, after all.)

“Then make a rough count of what you have. Come to the county office tomorrow morning to discuss the details with the lord.”

“Alright.”

“Good. Everything’s fine now—you two can head home.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

The two of them took their leave and exited the city. Jiang Ji let out a long breath of relief. Acting really was exhausting.

That morning, when they’d gone to the county office, Magistrate Xu had already told them that the Provincial Inspector’s envoy had arrived the day before. He’d told them to go to the meeting without worry, and that if they could make Lord Chen personally witness Prefect Hu’s greed, all the better.

So Jiang Ji had put on that whole act just to buy time for Magistrate Xu to bring Lord Chen to the restaurant.

“Magistrate Xu sure has a tough boss,” Jiang Ji sighed. “Even has to play mind games like that.”

Jiang Yan nodded. “The government is like a battlefield.”

“Luckily, it’s settled now!” Jiang Ji stretched his back.

Jiang Yan’s lips curved slightly. “You can finally sleep in peace.”

“Exactly. Come on, let’s go home and get a good rest!” Jiang Ji walked a few steps in high spirits, then said, “Jiang Yan, tomorrow when we meet the lord, let’s suggest sending the remaining seeds to Pingnan County.”

“Sounds good,” Jiang Yan replied.

Jiang Ji turned his head to look at him. “You know, I don’t think you’re from our county.”

Jiang Yan paused. “Why do you say that?”

“Think about it. These past few days we’ve sold seeds to nearly eighty percent of the families in the county—someone from almost every village came, but not one person recognized you. I’m guessing you’re not from around here.”

“Hmm, makes sense.” Jiang Yan asked, “You think it might be Pingnan County?”

“Yeah. Pingnan’s just south of us—maybe seventy or eighty li away. We could go there and have a look. Who knows, maybe we’ll find your family.”

Jiang Yan glanced at him and nodded. “Alright. Let’s go to Pingnan.”

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